David Moyes and Tim Steidten are facing a major transfer window dilemma over the first West Ham signing.
West Ham are still on the hunt for their first signing of the January transfer window.
January is never the best time to do business.
Especially when desperation starts to set in, as it is for a West Ham side ravaged by injury to and unavailability of essential stars.
When Tim Steidten was appointed as West Ham’s technical director in the summer, he ended up overseeing one of the best windows in the Premier League.
So hopes – and expectations – are high among the Hammers faithful.
Steidten’s philosophy is to identify and beat the elite to top talent. Generally the German rarely signs players over the age of 26.
David Moyes insisted on signing James Ward-Prowse in the summer which has clearly been an excellent call.
But the Hammers have the second oldest squad in the top flight and one of Steidten’s missions is to lower that in the coming years.
West Ham are also under pressure to bring in players who tick the homegrown status box.
So Moyes and Steidten are facing a major transfer window dilemma over their first West Ham signing.
With all that being said, West Ham – given the lack of quality in depth and injury situation – are also in need of players who can hit the ground running.
Usually that would be players of proven international and top league pedigree and experience.
It has been widely reported that Ajax captain Steven Bergwijn and Sunderland attacker Jack Clarke are West Ham’s priority targets.
The Telegraph has confirmed as much this week but made clear that the Hammers only intend to sign one or the other.
So what direction do West Ham go in?
Do they move slightly away from their new recruitment philosophy to try and ensure they maintain their top six challenge by going for Bergwijn?
Or do they go for Clarke of Sunderland who can be an asset to potentially build the team around in the future?
Bergwijn turns 27 this year but is an experienced top level international player with 63 goals and 47 assists to his name in 282 appearances for club and country.
On the other hand Clarke – dubbed the ‘new Jack Grealish’ – has bags of potential, is three years younger but has zero top flight appearances and has only made brief cameos in two Europa League games while at Spurs.
There have also been questions raised over Clarke’s ability to cut it in the Premier League following an underwhelming performance when Sunderland played Newcastle in the FA Cup.
Similarly, Bergwijn failed to establish himself at Tottenham – although many of their fans liked what they saw and felt the Dutch attacker was somewhat hard done by in his time there.
So do Steidten and Moyes go for the tried and tested ready to roll established star or someone more in line with the mantra of their technical director nicknamed the ‘pearl diver’?
In an ideal world West Ham could sign both. But then with everyone fit there would be too many options and a potentially unhappy squad further down the line.
Only Moyes and Steidten can decide which way West Ham go with it. It feels very much like a fork in the road moment.
And whatever direction they take – if they do indeed sign either Bergwijn or Clarke – will say a lot about the short and long term plans.
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